Automation, e-mobility and big data can completely change the game in logistics over the coming years. Martin Polák, Senior Vice President and Regional Head for CEE at Prologis talked to Property Forum about the future of European industrial and logistics markets.

Prologis announced its full-year 2017 activity for its business in Central and Eastern Europe. Last year the developer reached a record-breaking occupancy of 97.4 percent, leased of 1.6 million of space, delivered 15 buildings and launched 9 new developments.

The Polish warehouse market remains in great shape. New year-to-year records are being broken. Gross demand amounted to 4 million sqm, of which 75% was made up of new lease agreements and expansions. This is a 32% improvement compared to 2016. High demand side results are due to the accelerating economy, including internal consumption growing month by month, and an increase in investment by companies. Developers responded quickly to high demand from tenants, resulting in 2.36 million sqm delivered on the market and 1.39 million sqm under construction at the end of 2017. The high level of absorption caused the vacancy rate decrease to 4.5%, according to the report summarising 2017 in the warehouse space market in Poland, prepared by AXI IMMO experts.

A 20,000 square meter logistic centre was taken over by SEG Automotive's domestic unit, which specializes in the development and production starter motors and generators. The technologically advanced warehouse – featuring indoor GPS-tracking – is the largest interconnected hall in the region.

CTP and DSV, the fifth biggest global transport and logistics companies, signed a leasing agreement for approximately 40,000 sqm in CTPark Bucharest West. CTP invested about €12 million in the development of the new logistics spaces occupied by the Danish company in the first days of February.

In 2017, the Polish industrial market continued to develop at a high level. The intense activity among developers, who delivered over 2.3 million sqm to the market, and among tenants who leased nearly 4.6 million sqm, led to another record for both sides – according to the latest report by Colliers International.

Prologis has signed four lease agreements totalling 62,700 square metres at its parks in Chorzów and Dąbrowa Górnicza, bringing its Silesian portfolio to 98 percent occupied.

This year, CTP will finish the developments began in 2017 in its parks situated near Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara and will continue the development of the logistics park located in the vicinity of Pitești.

P3 has a strong pipeline of Romanian projects for 2018, the company announced. P3 plans to open new locations in Bucharest and the western part of the country.

Prologis has begun construction of a new 28,300 square metre speculative facility at Prologis Park Prague-Uzice in the Czech Republic. It will be the third building at fully occupied park and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2018.